ZERO WASTE & WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR EVENTS

2. ZERO WASTE & WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR EVENTS Bob McGivney – Director of Small Business & Event Sustainability

3. HOW DO YOU TELL THEM ALL TO REDUCE WASTE??? DON’T PUT IT IN THEIR HAND!!!

4. PLANNING THE EVENT • Planning early allows for waste reduction plans right from the start • Minimizing waste reduces costs for everyone • Identify behaviors that generate waste • Flyers – use email announcements • Website – online registration and ticketing (even airlines do it!)

5. There are a lot of stakeholders when producing an event…START AT THE SOURCE • Property Owners – what is their waste policy? Will they help? • City Staff – permits? Awareness? Regulations? i.e. Parks & Recreation • Sponsors – what are they promoting? What products will they bring? Packaging? • Vendors – concession staff – what will they serve their product in? • Contractors – cleaning services? Training? How much are they willing to do? • Volunteers – what will their role be? • Attendees – they just came for a good time

6. EVENT STAKEHOLDERS • PROPERTY OWNERS & CITY STAFF – permits? awareness? regulations? create guidelines & enforce.

7. EVENT STAKEHOLDERS • SPONSORS & VENDORS – What are they promoting or selling? Most of the waste starts here… • Reduce or eliminate flyers & promotional hand outs • Food Service: • Buy items in bulk – eliminate single use items • Reusable or compostable servingware • Include mandatory use of reusable, compostable or recyclable items in contracts

8. EVENT STAKEHOLDERS • CONTRACTORS & VOLUNTEERS • Educate workers & volunteers about the importance of waste reduction – get them involved • Offer good hourly rate for trash pickers – pays dividends • Training workers is critical • Be sure workers are willing to separate contamination

9. SIGNAGE & CONTAINERS • Effective, clear signage is essential • Must be easy to read & bilingual • Use images & color codes • Recycling = blue • Compost = green • Landfill = black

10. SIGNAGE & CONTAINERS • Always keep containers together! • Recycling & Compost always with landfill trash • Be sure workers are willing to separate contamination

11. Containers for Event Recycling for 50 to 100,000 • 45 Gallon ClearStream Containers • Billboard for Sponsorship Logos & Messaging • Placed throughout grounds • Outside Only!! • 96 Gallon Toter Carts • Placed around perimeter for bag collection • For <3000 guests • 20, 30 & 40 yard Roll Off Container • 20’ L x 8’ W x various heights • Central location for easy truck access • Holds 80 carts worth of material • For 2500+ guests

12. Containers for Event Recycling for 50 to 100,000 • 2 yard mini-dumpster • Equivalent to 4 carts • Very flexible with placement • 6 yard Front Load dumpster • Equivalent to 12 carts • Restricted placement

13. Post Event Report Example • Tech Company Private Conference 2013 • Austin Hilton Downtown - total cooperation with hotel staff • 1200 guests – 3 days

14. Post Event Report Example • Austin Triathlon 2013 • Auditorium Shores – strict Park & Rec clean up standards • 3500 participants

15. Post Event Report Example • SXSW Music 2013 • Auditorium Shores – strict Park & Rec clean up standards • 30,000 people – 3 days

16. Summary • Plan Ahead for waste reduction • Get property owner to help & enforce • Communicate with Vendors & Sponsors • Contractors & Volunteers – get them invested & involved • Clear signage • Get weights & volume tickets to see results